COAG on Capital Cities

COAG capital cities strategic planning systems

The Council of Australian Governments (COAG) has agreed to reforms to ensure our capital cities are well placed to meet the challenges of the future.

The COAG Reform Council has been asked to:

• review capital city strategic planning systems against agreed national criteria
• support continuous national improvement in capital city strategic planning
• build and share knowledge of best practice planning approaches.

There are nine criteria for future strategic planning of capital cities. These criteria will provide the platform to re-shape our capital cities. The criteria will ensure our cities have strong, transparent and long-term plans in place to manage population and economic growth; plans which will address climate change, improve housing affordability and tackle urban congestion.

The Major Cities Unit is working with the COAG Reform Council and each of the State and Territory governments to support improvements in strategic planning, and to share best practice planning approaches. This sharing of knowledge and best practice benefits not just the capital cities but all the cities of Australia.

The COAG Reform Council's report on the review of capital cities strategic planning systems against the national criteria will be submitted to COAG in December 2011.

For further information, please refer to the COAG Reform Council website at http://www.coagreformcouncil.gov.au/agenda/cities.cfm